Western New England Greenway Annual Meeting: Connecting & Branding Discover the East Coast Greenway REI Soho, NYC, June 6, 2017
We connect people to places, Maine to Florida At 3,000 miles, the East Coast Greenway is becoming the longest protected biking and walking path in the United States.
26 years of nonprofit advocacy Nationally recognized with experienced staff of12 Empowers low-cost, sustainable transportation and safe, accessible, point-to-point routes Fosters active, healthy lifestyles Route is now more than 32% off-road
A Multi-Use Facility for Everyone Why? An integral part of transportation policy Provide active transportation opportunities Recreational facilities, or linear parks The healthy option Provide pollution and noise abatement Fantastic community amenities Foster tourism & economic development
East Coast Greenway by the numbers:
Grateful Thanks to Friends Our nonprofit Alliance s work is made possible through the generous support of foundations, corporations, event sponsors, individual donors, and our members. Volunteers (like the crew, above, from REI, a long-time sponsor) help lead active events, hold clean-up days, and more.
How Do We Do It? The Process: 3 Components to Success A: Community Support Strong Local Advocacy Elected Officials+Staff Buy-in B: This Draws Attention and Allows for Attracting Design $$ - When Designed You Have a Fundable Project, Get in Line for $$ (DOT, DEP, MPO s)
200 miles 50% complete 100% signed
$19M/Yr. for trails from CTDOT with preference for the ECG spine. 20 designated projects in CT through 2021. 4 of those are slated for 2018. $67 million including Plainville, which is estimated at $16M
Merritt Parkway Multi-Use Trail Feasibility Study
Challenges $250 Million for 37.5 miles Maintenance Environmental impacts Preservation of Parkway s scenic and historic character Maintaining the character of neighborhoods ADA design? Road/ramp crossings
Opportunities Non-motorized transportation alternative for communities Alternate way to experience and appreciate the Merritt Parkway Health benefits Tourism/economic benefits Education East-west connection to north-south trails WNEG!
Drawing Attention Drawing Together Separate Brands: MERRITT PARKWAY TRAIL ALLIANCE EAST COAST GREENWAY NORWALK RIVER VALLEY TRAIL STILL RIVER GREENWAY NEW MILFORD RIVER TRAIL HOU BIKE WALK TRAIL ASHUWILLTICOOK RAIL TRAIL LAKE CHAMPLAIN BIKEWAY BURLINGTON BIKE PATH ISLAND LINE TRAIL LA ROUTE VERTE
Why Do We Do It? Branding is critical to our success Fundraising Membership Partnerships Need a comprehensive branding campaign, to increase trail use, boost brand awareness, and highlight the importance of the WNEG's ongoing effort to connect its trails. Goals: miles of signage?
How Do We Do It? We must recognize, nurture and partner with the groups building the trail in their communities Our signs must be front and center, yet should not upstage partners We must make deals with DOT s, particularly on maintenance
Signage Basics The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Regulatory signs give notice of traffic regulations. These include BICYCLES MAY USE FULL LANE or a STOP sign on a shared-use path. Warning signs give notice of conditions and are typically on yellow diamond-shaped backgrounds. These include stop ahead or path narrows signs. Guide signs show route designations, destinations, directions, distances, services, points of interest, and other geographical, recreational, or cultural information. Typically for route identification.
Signage for the WNEG The primary purposes of signing the WNEG are to establish a unique brand, to inform users that they are on the WNEG, and to identify route direction changes, enabling proper wayfinding. As much is still on road, providing good route signage is crucial to guiding users Signs also serve to raise public awareness of the WNEG by identifying a given local trail segment as part of it. Frequent posting of the route sign helps to develop public awareness of the brand. Maximize their presence along the route, while avoiding visual clutter ( sign pollution ).
ECGA Standard: 15 x 5.5 Aluminum Reflective UV Resist The best option at trailheads + Wayfinding Distinctive
ECGA Standard: 5x5 Directional Arrows Black Outline for Visibility
MUTCD M1-8a: Demanded by 3 of 15 states
Co-Branding Alternatives May be the only option in certain Areas Making deals with a variety of agencies
Wayfinding Economic Destinations Safety Blackstone River Trail in RI
Union County Parks NJ Billboard
EAST COAST GREENWAY SIGNAGE PROPOSAL / SOUTHINGTON CT south to north LOCATION northbound sign southbound sign Peck Ln @ rail-trail utility pole before pkg area, with R turn arroon trail gate at parking lot, with diagonal R arrow or right then straight arrow all trail road crossings I will provide signs for these crossings as the town would like. Doesn t seem like trail @ Kane/Hart/Curtiss on back of no motor vehicles post, with R turn arrow on pole with Curtiss St & Kane St name blades facing east with L turn arrow Curtiss St @ Rt 10 on turn arrows signpost with L turn arrow already in place Rt 10@ Flanders St already in place light ahead signpost, with up-then-left arrow Flanders St @ Flanders Rd pole with street name blades with L arrow intersection ahead signpost (yellow diamond west of intersection) with up-then-r arrow Flanders Rd @ Shuttle Meadow on turn arrow signpost, with L turn arrow Rd Shuttle Meadow Rd @ Dunham St utility poles? There are two: one at W of intersection and one at E of intersection. R turn arrow needed street name blades pole, with R turn arrow utility pole @ west of intersection, with L turn arrow Each town is approached with a signage plan
Date First Last Company Work Phone Memo Kevin Burnham Hartford DPW (860) 757-9900 COMPLETE 1/24/2013 Captain Paul Hammick Bloomfield Police Department 860-242-5501 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Town Manager Kathleen Eagen Farmington Town Hall 860-675-2350 COMPLETE 1/24/2013 Police Chief Peter Ingvertsen Simsbury Police Department 860-658-3101 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Town Manager Robert Lee Plainville Municipal Center 860-793-0221 x201 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Police Chief John Daly Southington Police Department 860-378-1601 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Lt. Brian Pichnarcik Cheshire Police Department 203-271-5545 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Police Chief Thomas Wydra Hamden Police Department 203-230-4015 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Mr. James Travers City of New Haven 203-946-8067 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Sergeant William Cole West Haven Police Department 203-937-3925 Sgt. Cole making 2/14/2013 Sergeant Todd Richards Milford Police Department 203-878-5244 in process 1/17/2013 Lieutenant Frank Eannotti Stratford Police Department 203-385-4123 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Mr. Jon Urquidi City of Bridgeport 203-332-5642 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Police Chief Gary MacNamara Fairfield Police Department 203-254-4828 COMPLETE 1/25/2013 First Selectman Gordon Joseloff Town of Westport 203-341-1111 COMPLETE 1/30/2013 Mr. Harold Alvord City of Norwalk 203-854-7791 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Lieutenant Donald Anderson Darien Police Department 203-662-5305 COMPLETE 2/14/2013 Mr. Mani Poola City of Stamford 203-977-4237 COMPLETE 2/21/2014 Mr. Peter Tesei Town of Greenwich 203-622-7710 COMPLETE Each town has a contact
Sign Maintenance Report Date: Submitted By: Street Location: Intersection Street & Direction (North or Southbound) Municipality Status: Missing, Defaced, Colors fading, needs new hardware, etc. Post (y/n?). If yes, describe location Notes Yearly volunteer maintenance surveys Users are urged to report missing signs
Other Ideas: Swag Ambassador Program Awards to Local Leaders Newsletter Annual Report Sponsor Rides Trailside Tables Maps
ECGA Trip Planner Ready to explore the Greenway? Sign in to our Trip Planner: http://map.greenway.org/ Design your custom East Coast Greenway itinerary. Visit our state pages to find local trail guides and organized outings. Then, let us know about your trip. Write to us and tag us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Chairman Questions? R. Bruce Donald, APBP Tri-State Greenway Coordinator East Coast Greenway Alliance bruce@greenway.org 860.707.2888